Coping with Grief
We would like to offer our sincere support to anyone coping with grief. Enter your email below for our complimentary daily grief messages. Messages run for up to one year and you can stop at any time. Your email will not be used for any other purpose.
Clair Kingsley, the fifth child of Fred & Dorothy Kingsley was born February 24, 1934 at Wheatland, ND. He would often say, “I was born in the basement and never brought up.”
Clair attended grade school at Ehrlicher District #62. He graduated from Lincoln High School in Casselton in 1951.
Clair was drafted in August 1956 and spent six months of his active duty in England and 13 months in Germany. He was released from active duty on July 24, 1958 and was a member of the Army Ready Reserve until he was honorably discharged on July 31, 1962.
Clair was baptized by E. G. Hochstetler on August 25, 1958 and became a member of the Red River Valley Mennonite Church. On August 29, 1958 Clair married Dorothy Erb. To this union three children were born: Amy, Scott, and Valerie.
Clair & Dorothy moved to a house on the May Campbell farm and farmed there until the land was sold. After that he worked for his neighbor Jerry Radcliffe until Jerry retired. In 1996, he started working for his nephew John McConnell. When he was no longer actively farming, he was kept busy mowing lawns.
Clair was a crafter. He enjoyed working with wood and made boxes of all sizes to give as gifts. His crafting wasn’t limited to boxes. He made everything from small tables to china hutches. Clair wasn’t just a crafter. After Dorothy passed away, he discovered he enjoyed cooking and baking. What he really enjoyed though was his garden. He planted much, not necessarily to eat but to share with family and friends. On hot summer days, he was up early to tend the garden. He planted lots of fruits and vegetables, but his main crop was gladiolus. When they were in bloom, he would take bouquets anywhere he could-the bank, church, even the gas station.
Clair is survived by his children Amy (Kevin) Waltner, Hurley, SD; Scott, Sebewaing, MI; son-in-law David Woods, Blaine, MN; grandchildren Brian, David (Ashely), Amanda Kingsley & Libby (Dalton) Miller; great- grandchildren Liam Kingsley & Valerie Waltner-Miller; brother Ronald (Faye) Kingsley, Wheatland; half sister Kathleen Dobias, LaGrange, IL; sisters-in-law Lucille Kingsley, Fargo; Sharlotte Kingsley, Casselton; Donna (Robert) McKelvey, St. Johns, MI; Ruby VanAmburg, Phoenix, AZ; Lola Rosenberger, Apopka, FL; Margaret (Mark) Wendorf, Portland, OR; Arlene Erb and Linda Erb, Amenia; brothers-in-law Bud Roney; Paul (Delores) Erb, Casselton; and numerous nieces & nephews.
Clair was preceded in death by his wife Dorothy; his daughter Valerie Woods; his parents; father & mother-in-law Omar & Mary Ann Erb; sisters Shirley (Stanley) Stokka; Yvonne (William) McConnell; Gloria Roney & Sharon Kingsley; brothers Don (Phyllis) Kingsley; Leroy & Robert Kingsley, brother-in-law Nick Pollock; nephews Gary Roney, Terry Pollock, Mark Holt & Roger Dean.
Memorials will be directed to the Casselton Heritage Center.
UPDATED SERVICE INFORMATION
Visitation: Tuesday, March 28, 2023, from 5-7 p.m. in West Funeral Home, Casselton, N.D.
Memorial Service: Wednesday, March 29, at 1:30 p.m., in Arthur United Methodist Church, Arthur, N.D., with visitation one hour prior to the service.
Interment: Casselton Cemetery, Casselton, N.D.
West Funeral Home & Life Tribute Center
westfuneralhome.com
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Clair Kingsley, please visit our floral store.